The present disclosure in the specification relates to an information processing apparatus, information processing method, computer program, and information communication system, in which web services requesting authentication are used in homes. Specifically, the present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus, information processing method, computer program, and information communication system that switch devices using Web services requesting authentication.
Web services that can be used on the Internet include Web services requesting authentication. For example, at the time of using such services from a multifunctional terminal such as a smartphone, the user may perform an input operation of URL (Uniform Resource Locator) or ID and password through a user interface held in the multifunctional terminal, and, after that, it is possible to play content provided by Web services on a screen of the terminal.
Also, there is a case where the user wants to view content, which is viewed on the multifunctional terminal, using a larger screen of a TV set. Most of recent TV sets incorporate a browser function and can display Web services of the multifunctional terminal on the TV set.
However, in the case of using a Web service requesting authentication, the user is requested to input authentication information such as the same ID and password on the TV set side again, which is bothersome. It is troublesome to repeat an input operation of the same character string every time a device to display Web services is switched, regardless of performing the authentication processing once on the multifunctional terminal. Also, an input of the string character in the TV set is normally performed through a numeric key or arrow key of a remote control device, which is a very troublesome operation for the user.
For example, there is suggested a content distribution system in which, at the time of changing a content viewing terminal to view content distributed from a content server requesting login authentication, an original viewing terminal acquires a view right certificate from an authentication management apparatus and transfers it to a destination content viewing terminal and the destination content viewing terminal uses the received view right certificate (assertion) and requests the content to a content providing apparatus (e.g. see Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2009-217370). According to this content distribution system, the destination content viewing terminal can save the effort of performing login by the destination content viewing terminal. However, in the case of this content distribution system, the view right certificate (i.e. authentication information) is moved at the time of switching a viewing terminal. Therefore, since not only the authentication management apparatus but also the original content viewing terminal and the destination content viewing terminal request a dedicated system to perform authentication information processing, the system becomes large.